


When It's Gone

by writteninstony



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Superfamily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 04:06:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14824952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writteninstony/pseuds/writteninstony
Summary: Post-Infinity War (Spoiler Alert!)After the battle in Wakanda, Steve tries to contact his family."I don’t know where you are or why you’re not picking up, but I can’t get ahold of you and I’m worried. Call me as soon as possible. I love you. Be safe.”





	When It's Gone

The battle was over.

Warriors had fought back the remainder of the alien creatures that had surrounded the city, and watched as the rest returned to the stars.

The wounded were being treated. The Wakandans were taking account of who, amongst their ranks, had disappeared. Thanos had snapped his fingers and vanished, taking half of the universe with him.

He had done it.

He had won.

They had lost.

Steve sat, exhausted, on the crest of the battlefield. Bodies littered the ground around him, human and alien alike. He knew there must be something, anything, that he could do to help – gather supplies, help transport injured soldiers, assist Shuri and the doctors who were treating them.

But instead he sat. He sat, unable to shake the confusion in Bucky’s eyes as he crumbled or the sound of his voice before he blew away. Bucky, Sam, Wanda, Vision, T’Challa. They were just… gone. Who knew the true extent of the damage, who else had vanished.

A sudden burst of energy surged through Steve as he dropped the shield he’d been holding propped against his knees and patted his suit until he found the cellphone he’d managed to grab before leaving the city. His fingers fumbled on the screen as he entered the familiar number. The phone rang, and Steve felt like his heart had crawled up into his throat.

The phone rang. Again. And again.

After what felt like an eternity, a robotic female voice broke through the fog beginning to cloud Steve’s mind.

“Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice message system. After the tone, please record your message.”

“Shit.” Steve muttered under his breath as the phone emitted a high-pitched beep. It took the man a moment to bring himself to speak.

“Hey, Tony. It’s… me. I know Bruce said you followed the ship, but I’m really hoping you’re on Earth and okay and…. I just need to know you’re okay. I’m going to try Peter next. Please call me back as soon as you get this.”

Steve ended the message and tried to swallow around the lump in his throat. Peter’s phone number was more an instinct than a memory, and Steve hardly had to look before he sent the call. His fist clenched in the grass beside him as the call went straight to voicemail. The sound of his son’s voice, so clearly laced with a smile, brought tears to his eyes.

“It’s Peter! I can’t come to the phone right now cause I’m probably doing something awesome. You know what to do!”

Rubbing a hand over his face, Steve closed his eyes at the tone.   
“Pete, it’s Pops. I don’t know where you are or why you’re not picking up, but I can’t get ahold of you or your dad and I’m worried. Call me as soon as possible. I love you, kiddo. Be safe.”   


As he hung up the phone again, Steve couldn’t help but think of Bucky again, of the way he just fell apart. His mind quickly morphed Bucky into Tony, and then Peter, and he quickly tried to banish the images of his family crumbling to dust from his mind. Until he knew otherwise, he had to assume they were fine. How else could he go on?   


The field surrounding him had been beautiful, at some point. It had been when he had brought Bucky to Wakanda the first time. But that tranquil beauty had been ravished, the field only a memory of a better time. The afternoon heat beat down on Steve as he thrummed his fingers against the phone, trying not to focus on the dead soldiers around him. They each had a family. Was someone sitting at home, trying as he was to reach out, and receiving no response? Was their family holding out hope that they would return, or did they have a feeling that something was wrong?    


Steve had the feeling. It had settled deep in the pit of his stomach, and refused to be shaken loose. It made his throat dry, and his hands tremble. Something – he didn’t know what, but  _ something  _ – was very, very wrong.

He dialed Tony’s number again.

He counted each ring, and choked back a sob as the robotic voice interrupted the sixth ring to repeat her message.

“Tony, Peter’s not answering, something’s wrong. I really need to hear from you. I know things have been… tense… lately, but please. I need you to be okay. I lost Bucky… again… Please, Tony I can’t lose you both too.” Steve took a deep breath and fought down his nausea. “Wherever you are, wherever Pete is, I just need you both to come home. I love you. Both of you. So much. Please remember that. Call me soon.”

The sun glinted off the screen of the phone as Steve stared down at it, holding it as gently in his hands as if it alone was the key to reuniting his family. A lone tear slipped down his face as he squeezed his eyes shut. Losing his best friend had been hard enough the first time. Now he’d lost so much more, all at once.

Tony had to be okay. Peter  _ had  _ to be okay.

The battle was over.

Thanos had won.

They had lost.

And some, it seemed, had lost everything.


End file.
